The Conch Republic  Key West
by mamazano
Summary: The Conch Republic - Key West, a slice of paradise in the lives of our immortal Captains. A new series, or sequel if you might, to Havana Revisited. Jack Sparrow/Will Turner. Slash fic.
1. A Taste of Paradise

Written by: mamazano

Title: A Taste of Paradise

Rating: PG-13

Characters: Jack/Will

Disclaimer: Disney owns them, I just like playing with them. Over and over it seems.

Summary: The Conch Republic - Key West, a slice of paradise in the lives of our immortal Captains.

A/N: A new series, or sequel if you might, to Havana Revisited.

Ever since they'd bought the small bungalow on Florida street, Jack had taken to cooking. Not that he hadn't tried in the past, with results varying from edible to flammable (he'd almost burned down their London townhouse, not once but twice). There was something about the tropical climate and ambiance of Key West though, that brought out the culinary genius lurking within.

Surrounded by the plentitude of the sea and the vast array of tropical fruits, Jack was forever trying out new recipes on a willing if not always eager Will. For every tropical delight there was also a few disasters as well, which Will tried gallantly, each and every time.

They frequently dined with their neighbors, sharing meals and recipes, laughter and tales of adventure.

For once, in the long centuries they'd been together, Jack and Will had found not only a home but a family. To their neighbors they were not "that gay couple down the street," but just Jack and Will, connoisseurs of good food and wine. And rum.

Their neighbors had soon grown accustomed to the odd idiosyncrasies of the two men, their vast knowledge of history and the sea, balanced with their unabashed love for each other. They were known locally (and fondly) as the "love birds," the two of them rarely seen apart, except for the lengthy sea voyages that the younger man seemed destined to take.

It was during these absences that the elder man perfected his culinary skills, working tirelessly on new dishes to delight his lover with, on his next leave ashore. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Their friends knew though that there was no danger in that department. Will Turner's heart forever belonged to Jack.

The meals were just an added bonus.


	2. The Winds of Summer

The Winds of Summer

The storm battered the island for three days, the main force of the winds skirting to the west, bringing a storm surge that washed over the seawalls and through the streets. The residents hunkered down as best they could, huddling together by lantern light, listening to the howling fury beyond the storm shutters.

When the worst had passed, the brave or perhaps, foolish ventured outside to assess the damages. Uprooted trees, downed power lines, capsized boats, the usual.

Jack Sparrow, being one of these foolish ones, noted that Betsy Aubrey had lost part of her roof and most of her picket fence, while Clyde Jenkins had a coconut palm gracing the roof of his '55 Ford Fairlane. But, for the most part, his neighbors had been lucky.

Well, except for those whose husbands, fathers, brothers, friends worked on the shrimp boats. The fleet had been due back that Monday, the night the storm had roared ashore. Now, three days later, with all communications to the mainland cut, roads washed away, no power or water on the island, the survivors sat isolated in the sweltering heat, wondering if they'd ever see their loved ones again.

News of the disaster soon spread, the Navy set about providing drinking water for the residents and restored some communications. But it would be months before the roads would be repaired and power and water restored to the Southernmost City in America.

The fate of the men on the shrimp boats lost at sea that summer was never known for sure. Except for one man.

Captain Will Turner, a part-time resident of the storm battered island, maintained his composure as he guided one after another of his friends and neighbors to the other side. Billy Thompson left behind a wife and two daughters. Sal Gimelli, who ran the local pizza parlor during the off-season, his aging mother and father. Peter Franklin, Charlie Johnson, Vance Whitehouse. Young Sammy Taylor, who dreamt of sailing around the world, and Robert Baker, just turned eighteen.

They each begged Will to relay a message to loved ones, let them know they would be missed. And the _Flying Dutchman's_ captain promised that he would, in some way let their families know they had passed on peacefully.

And it was in the dark, wrapped in his lover's arms, that Will Turner came to terms with his own losses. Regrets he did not harbor, except for the wish at times to reassure a grieving relative that their loved one was safely home. Jack did him best to comfort, by being there, _alive_, a safe port in Will's emotional storm. But storms not only take away, they cleanse, and confirm. There, in the darkness, the two men found solace and strength in their living, being, loving.

And so, once again the islanders rebuilt and remembered, and later that year, a celebration of life was held, a city-wide wake, to honor those who had lost their lives when the winds of summer swept through their island. A toast was made, a glass was raised and tears were shed, but life did go on.

For the people, were they immortal by magic, fate or by soul, those who chose to make a living on that southernmost outcropping of civilization… Those were the survivors.


End file.
